A wise wazír rose to his feet and said:—
“O judge of what is just and right! the world
Hath ceased to fear malignants, toil and stress
Have left our coasts. Howbeit famed Shangul
Among the folk of Hind is still perverse;

His bands of plunderers infest the earth
From Hindústán up to the coasts of Chín.
He will lay hands for ill upon Írán,
And thou shouldst apprehend this. Thou art Sháh;
Shangul but wardeth Hind, so why should he
Take toll of Sind and Chín? Consider this,
And note his plans, for ill must not ensue.”
The Sháh, on hearing this, was full of thought,
The world before him seemed a tangled brake,
And thus he answered: “I will deal herewith
In secret, not consulting any one.
I will myself alone observe his troops,
The conduct of his kingship and his throne,
Approaching him an as ambassador,
And not acquaint the Íránians and the lords.
O holy archimage! write to Shangul
A firm but courteous letter.”

Thereupon

His pious minister went with a scribe,
And others that were indispensable,
And canvassed all the case, brought paper, ink,
And pen, and wrote a letter full of counsel,
Instruction, knowledge, and the praise of God.
It thus began: “From God be praise on those
That seek His praise who is the Lord of all
That is and is not. All things have their peers,
But God is One. Of all that He bestoweth
Upon His slaves, on sovereign and subject,
Naught is more great than wisdom which illumeth
Both. He whom wisdom gladdeneth will walk not
The world for ill, and he that chooseth right
Ne'er will repent thereof; he cannot savour
Ill from the stream of knowledge. Wisdom looseth
Man from mishap; may none be wrung therewith.
Wisdom's first token is that one should dread
Ill-doing all one's years and know oneself;
Then must he search the world with wisdom's eye,
For wisdom is the diadem of kings,
And jewel of the men of name withal.
Thou know'st not thine own measure but dost plunge
Thy soul in blood. Now, seeing that I am
The monarch of the age, both good and ill
Are laid to me. Do thou so reign that right
May be preserved, for ill is manifest
On all sides. 'Tis not kingly to make raids,
And cotton with the ill-disposed. Thy grandsire
Was vassal to us and thy sire a slave
Before our Sháhs, and none of us allowed
Arrears in tribute out of Hindústán.

Now mark the fortune of the Khán of Chín,
Who came thence 'gainst Írán. He gave to spoil
All that he brought, and writhed for his ill deeds.
I see thee also thus disposed, the same
Perversity, same Glory, and same Faith.
Now I have arms and treasures for the war,
My soldiers are devoted and arrayed;
Thou canst not stand against my gallant men,
And there is not a general in Hind.
Thou art conceited of thy might, preferring
Thine own rill to the river. Now behold!
I have dispatched an envoy to thee, one
Of knowledge, eloquence, and high degree.
Send tribute or make war and fortify
The passes. Be our blessing on his soul
Whose warp and woof are equity and wisdom.”
Whenas air's breath had made the writing dry
The writer of the letter folded it,
And then the scribe addressed it on this wise:—
“From this world's king, the monarch shrewd of wit,
The lord of government, the lord of might,
The world's possessor, generous Bahrám Gúr,
Who on the day of Ard in month Khurdád
Received from Yazdagird the royal crown,
Chief of the marches, guardian of the realm,
To whom Sakláb and Rúm are tributary,
This to Shangul, who ruleth over Hind
From Sind up to the river of Kannúj.”*

The monarch sealed the letter with his signet,
And then made ready for the chase, but none
Of all the host knew of his purposes
Except the nobles of his company.
Thus he drew night to Hindústán and crossed
The river of magician-land.*

On nearing
The palace of Shangul he gazed upon
The hall of audience with its gate and curtain.
It rose aloft in air, and at the gate
There was no lack of arms and equipage,
For there stood cavaliers and elephants
Amid a din of gongs and Indian bells.
He stood there all amazed and lost in thought,
Then on this wise addressed the curtain-keepers,
The servants and officials of the gate:—
“An envoy to this court am I, deputed
By conquering Sháh Bahrám.”

The chamberlain

Went to the royal presence from the curtain.
They raised it by the king's command and brought
The envoy in with all respect. Bahrám Gúr
Advanced with stately step, and saw a chamber
With crystal roof. On drawing near Shangul

Bahrám beheld him seated on his throne
Of majesty, and crowned. The steps that led
Up to that golden throne were all of crystal.
There sat the king in all his Grace and might,
Arrayed in silver broidered with gold thread
Beset with many a gem. Bahrám beheld
The monarch's brother on an ante-throne,
And wearing on his head a jewelled crown.
The minister sat by: the monarch's son
Stood there before the throne. The Sháh drew nigh
Thereto, did reverence, and paused awhile,
Then quickly loosed his tongue. “I have,” he said,
“A letter written in our tongue on silk,
Sent to the king of Hind by Sháh Bahrám—
The world's lord who possesseth crown and throne.”
The king, on hearing what Bahrám said, bade
To bring a golden ante-throne. They set him
Upon that seat of gold, and from the gate
Called in his comrades. Seated thus he said:—
“Exalted king! I will unloose my lips
When thou commandest. May both good and greatness
Be ever thine.”

Shangul replied: “Proceed,

For heaven's blessing is on those who speak.”
Bahrám rejoined: “That Sháh of royal race,
Whose like no mother in the world hath borne,
The exalted prince, the glory of the state,
Whose justice turneth bane to antidote,
To whom all potentates are tributary,
Whose prey is lions in the chase, and who,
On taking up the scimitar in fight,
Converteth deserts into seas of blood,
In generosity like clouds in spring,
In whose sight treasures and dínárs are vile,
Hath sent the king of Hind an embassy,
And letter writ on silk in Pahlaví.”